ADU · Erie County
Can you build an ADU in Gowanda, NY?
Village of Gowanda has 3 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Gowanda code indicates by district
The table below shows how each district treats ADUs, alongside the lot and setback standards that govern a second unit. District boundaries and conditions vary, so treat this as a starting point and confirm the district that applies to your parcel.
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-1 One-Family Residential District | — | 30 / 10 / 50 ft | 40 ft | No |
| R-2 One and Two Family Residential District | — | 30 / 6 / 30 ft | 40 ft | No |
| R-3 Multiple and Two Family Residential District | — | 30 / 6 / 30 ft | 40 ft | No |
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Gowanda
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Gowanda. No local short-term-rental law found for the Village of Gowanda. Read in full 2026-08-27 — the Village's 402-page code book is a scan with no text layer and was OCR'd end to end for this check (~798,000 characters). 'Short-term rental' appears nowhere, and there is no rental-registration or rental-licensing chapter. GOWANDA OPERATES A PERMISSIVE-LIST CODE: every district's use list in Chapter 30 closes with 'Any use not herein specified is not permitted' — § 30.22 R-1, § 30.23 R-2, § 30.24 R-3, § 30.25 B-1, § 30.26 B-2, § 30.27 I-1 and § 30.29 ME all carry it. A use the chapter does not name is barred rather than allowed by default. THE CODE DEFINES THE ACTIVITY AND LISTS IT IN ONE DISTRICT ONLY. § 30, definition 51: 'Tourist Home shall mean a dwelling in which overnight accommodations are provided or offered for transient guests for compensation' — the language that captures whole-house short-term renting. Tourist home appears in exactly one use list: § 30.24(A)(3), the R-3 Multiple Residential District, where it is permitted by right alongside multiple-family dwellings, clubs and lodges, and fraternity and sorority houses. IT IS ABSENT FROM R-1 (one-family) AND R-2 (one- and two-family), the districts covering most Gowanda house lots, and both of those lists are expressly closed. So on the face of the code a whole-house short-term rental is available by right in R-3 and has no listed use in R-1 or R-2. That reading has not been confirmed with the Village, which is why this remains a dated negative finding rather than a ban — and the chapter dates from the 1960s (revised 4/14) and plainly never contemplated the activity. THIS VILLAGE ALSO STRADDLES THE ERIE–CATTARAUGUS COUNTY LINE, so a host may face a different county registry depending on which side the parcel sits. New York State's 2025 STR registry (Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025) separately requires every host statewide to register. Confirm with code enforcement at (716) 532-3353 ext. 104 before listing. These are separate questions from whether you can build an ADU — a unit you're allowed to add isn't automatically one you're allowed to rent nightly, so check both. Municipal source
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Building dept(716) 532-3353
- Last reviewed2026-08-06
ADU FAQ — Gowanda, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Gowanda, NY?
Village of Gowanda has 3 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (716) 532-3353.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Gowanda?
No. No district in Village of Gowanda permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (716) 532-3353 before ruling it out.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Gowanda?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Gowanda. ADU occupancy and short-term-rental rules are separate: an ADU you can build isn't automatically one you can rent nightly. Confirm both before you count on STR income.
What an ADU costs to build in Gowanda
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $200k–260k at a standard finish, and the per-square-foot rate comes in above a full house because the kitchen, bath, panel and heating plant cost the same either way. See the full cost to build an ADU in Gowanda, priced by size.
More on Gowanda: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · All Erie County towns
ADU information for Village of Gowanda is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-06) and provided for decision-support only — not legal or architectural advice. ADU eligibility, size, owner-occupancy and permit conditions vary by district and often carry exceptions; verify with the building department at (716) 532-3353 before relying on any answer. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.